Toothpaste dispensing cap



Aug. 2, 1955 c. A. BEST 2,714,473

TOOTHPASTE DISPENSING CAP Filed NOV. 13, 1952 I 1a 5 if IN VEN TOR. Grams/Va: A. EE'E'Q} nited States Patent TGOTHPASTE DISPENSING CAP Clarence A. Best, New Albany, Ind. Application November 13, 1952, Serial No. 320,204 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-217) The present invention relates to a dispensing mechanism and particularly to a mechanism for dispensing toothpaste, or the like, from a conventional tube in which it is sold.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device, extremely simple and dependable, whereby a meas- 3.1

ured quantity of paste can be conveniently dispensed from a tube.

A further object is to provide means for removably attaching the dispensing mechanism to a tube so that it can be used on successive tubes.

Further objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objccts, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through my dispenser showing the valve in its filling position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 1, but showing the valve in its discharge position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing a detail of my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I have shown a conventional toothpaste tube, or the like, having an externally threaded neck 11. My dispenser 12 comprises an annulus or collar member 13 internally threaded as at 14 for removable engagement with neck 11.

A tubular body or base portion 15 has portions 16 and 17 projecting oppositely from annulus 13, substantially coaxial therewith. Portion 16 projects into the interior of tube 10, when the annulus 13 is associated therewith, and has formed therein a radially-opening inlet port 18 communicating with the interior of said portion 16. The end of portion 16, adjacent port 18 is closed by a wall 19.

The body portion 17 is formed, adjacent the annulus 13, with a radially-opening outlet port 20, likewise communicating with the interior of said portion. The upper end of body 15 is open as at 21.

Telescopically received through open end 21 is a rotary valve member 22 having a manipulating knob 23 fixed to the end thereof adjacent open end 21 and formed to provide an axial bore 24. Valve member 22 extends substantially throughout the axial extent of body 15 and has formed therein a radially-opening inlet port 25, and a radially-opening outlet port 26 axially spaced from port 25, both p'orts communicating with axial bore 24.

Port 25 is so positioned as to be registrable with port 18 (see Fig. 1) when valve 22 is rotated to one postiion, and port 26 is so positioned as to be registrable with port 29 (see Fig. 2) when valve 22 is rotated to another Patented Aug. 2, 1955 ice position. To efiect this result, either the ports 18 and 20, or the ports 25 and 26 should be located in a com mon plane including the axis of the base portion, and the two remaining ports should be equally, axially spaced but, in addition, angularly spaced relative to each other. In the illustrated embodiment, I have shown ports 18 and 29 in the first mentioned attitude and the ports 25 and 26 in the second mentioned attitude. Obviously, the arrangement could be reversed without affecting the desired result.

Received in bore 24 is a piston 27 reciprocable between a position near knob 23 and a position adjacent the outlet port 26. A coiled spring 28 is confined in bore 24 and resiliently engages piston 27 to urge it toward its second said position.

To retain valve 22 in body 15 and to provide a means for properly aligning the respective ports in their two said positions, I prefer to form the valve member 22 with an angularly-extending, peripheral groove 29. After the valve is properly associated with base 15, a button is pressed into the periphery of portion 16 and enters the groove 29. The groove and button are so positioned and dimensioned that upon relatively rotary movement between the valve and body, button 30 will hit one end of groove 29 to stop the valve in the position in which ports 18 and 25 are in registry; and upon relative movement in the opposite direction, button 30 will hit the other end of groove 29 to stop the valve in the position in which ports 20 and 26 are in registry.

In use, the annulus is threaded on neck 11. Valve 22 is rotated to the position of Fig. l. The tube is then squeezed, forcing a quantity of paste through ports 18 and 25 into bore 24, compressing piston 27 against spring 28. After the piston reaches its position farthest from port 26, valve 22 is rotated to bring ports 2t) and 26 into registry. Thereafter, spring 28 moves piston 27 toward p'ort 26, forcing a measured quantity of paste through said port.

While I have illustrated and described my dispensing mechanism in association with a toothpaste tube, the principle thereof is equally adaptable to the dispensing of many types of materials and it is to be understood that the claims are not intended to be restrictive to the illustrated environment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for dispensing a measured quantity of material from a container comprising a body member having an axial bore therein opening through one end thereof, said body member being formed to provide a pair of axially-spaced, radially-opening ports communicating with said body member bore, a valve member telescopically journalled in said body member bore and having an axial bore therein closed at its outer end and opening through the end thereof opposite the open end of said body member, said valve member being formed to provide a pair of axially-spaced, radially-opening ports communicating with the bore therein, valve manipulating means fixed to the end of said valve member opposite said open end thereof, said manipulating means being operable to oscillate said valve member in said body member between a position in which one of the firstnamed ports is in registry with one of the second-named ports and a position in which the other of said first-named ports is in registry with the other of said second-named ports, a piston received in said valve member bore for reciprocation between a position near the closed end of said valve member and a position adjacent that one of said ports therein nearest said closed end, a coiled spring confined between said closed end of said valve member and said piston to urge said piston toward its second named position, and means for attaching said body mem her to said container, said means comprising an annular collar substantially concentric with said body member and supported thereon, between the pair of ports formed therein, in a plane substantially normal to the axis thereof, said collar being threaded for removable engagement with said container.

2. A device for dispensing a measured quantity of material from a container comprising a body member having an axial bore therein opening through one end thereof, said body member being formed to provide a pair of axially-spaced, radially-opening ports communicating with said body member bore, a valve member telescopically journalled in said body member bore and having an axail bore therein closed at its outer end and opening through the end thereof opposite the open end of said body member, said valve member being formed to pro vide a pair of axially-spaced, radially-opening ports communicating with the bore therein, valve manipulating means fixed to the end of said valve member opposite said open end thereof, said manipulating means being operable to oscillate said valve member in said body member between a position in which one of the firstnamed ports is in registry with one of the second-named ports and a position in which the other of said first-named ports is in registry with the other of said second-named ports, a piston received in said valve member bore for reciprocation between a position near the closed end of said valve member and a position adjacent that one of said ports therein nearest said closed end, and a coiled spring confined between said closed end of said valve member and said piston to urge said piston toward its second named position, said pair of ports in one of said members lying in a common plane including the axis of such member, and the said pair of ports in the other of said members being angularly spaced about the periphery of such other member, one of said members being formed to provide a peripheral groove and the other of said members being formed to provide a button taking into said groove, the angular extent of said groove being substantially equal to the angular spacing between the said ports in said other member.

3. For use with a toothpaste tube having a threaded dispensing neck thereon, means for dispensing a measured quantity of paste therefrom comprising a threaded collar for removable association with said neck, a tubular body member coaxially fixed on said collar with portions thereof projecting oppositely from said collar, one of said portions extending into the interior of said tube, when said collar is associated therewith, and formed to provide a radially-opening inlet port communicating with the interior of said body member, the end of said body member adjacent said port being closed, the other of said body member portions being formed to provide a radially-opening outlet port communicating with the interior of said body member near said collar, the end of said other portion of said body member being open, a rotary valve member, tubular in cross-section, telescopically received in said body member through the open end thereof, said valve member being formed to provide a radially-opening inlet port registrable with the inlet port in said body member when said valve member is rotated to one position, and a radially opening outlet port registrable with the outlet port in said body member when said valve member is rotated to another position, a manipulating knob fixed to said valve member adjacent the open end of said body member, a piston received within said valve member for reciprocation between a position near said knob and a position adjacent the outlet port in said body member, and a coiled spring confined within said valve member and resiliently engaging said piston to urge it toward its second said position, said valve member further being formed to provide a peripheral groove, and said body member further being formed to provide a button taking into said groove, the angular dimensions of said groove being substantially equal to the degree of rotation required to shift the said inlet ports out of registry and said outlet ports into registry.

4. For use with a container having a neck providing a dispensing port for said container, means for dispensing a measured quantity of material from said container comprising a collar threadedly engageable with said neck, a body member fixed on said collar and having portions thereof projecting oppositely from said collar, one of said portions being disposed within said container when said collar is so engaged with said neck, said body member being formed to provide a chamber having a movable wall remote from said container for varying the volume of said chamber, spring means engaging said Wall to urge it resiliently toward its position in which said chamber has its smallest volume, said body member being formed further to provide an inlet port in said one body portion and an outlet port in the other of said portions, said inlet port providing communication between the interior of said container and said chamber, and said outlet port providing an exit from said chamber to the exterior of said container, and valve means providing a closure for the outer end of said chamber and controlling said ports for oppositely opening and closing the same, said wall being moved by incoming material to enlarge the volume of said chamber when said inlet port is open, and moved by said spring means to decrease the volume of said chamber when said outlet port is open.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 746,681 Darragh, Ir. Dec. 15, 1903 771,627 Glisson Oct. 4, 1904 1,075,898 Champ et al. Oct. 14, 1913 1,194,450 Wesel Aug. 15, 1916 1,325,567 Lee Dec. 23, 1919 1,479,103 Lyons Jan. 1, 1924 

